Madam – I refer to your Editorial (“Time for reality check”, January 16th). It criticises pending industrial action in the public services in response to pay cuts as “no substitute for creative involvement”. You are entirely correct. However, you omit to point out that the people who work in the public services have now borne pay cuts averaging 14 per cent in 12 months.
Moreover, you fail to acknowledge the potential of the proposals advanced by the trade union movement in the December negotiations. These would have resulted in the transformation of public service provision in Ireland to an unprecedented degree, meeting budgetary constraints while simultaneously protecting the interests of public service workers.
They were sabotaged by the political right because agreement would have frustrated their overriding objective of cutting workers’ pay across the economy.
The potential for such an innovative agreement still exists. However it will not materialise unless the Government, as the employer, believes it is faced with the inevitability of a determined industrial campaign. There is still time for negotiation, but it is running out.
Meanwhile thousands of trade union members in the local authorities and other frontline services will continue to battle floods, freezing conditions and water shortages in the public interest – pay cuts notwithstanding. – Yours etc.,
JACK O’CONNOR,
General President,
SIPTU,
Dublin 1.